The city of Kalamazoo has reported a marked decrease in violent crime, including a near halving of homicides from 2023 to 2024. According to a report from the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, shared by WOODTV, violent crime fell by about 13% overall and homicides saw a significant drop of nearly 55%, from 22 cases to 10. The city also saw a decrease in other crimes, like confirmed shots fired incidents and assaults with a firearm.
Chief David Boysen attributes this reduction in violence to a "balanced approach that combines outreach efforts and enforcement." “Reducing gun violence has been a critical focus for the City of Kalamazoo, and I am proud to report significant progress in this area,” Boysen wrote, in a statement obtained by WOODTV. KDPS also reported a decrease in property crimes, though there has been an uptick in arson by about 8%. Meanwhile, the department handled fewer calls related to larceny from a vehicle, which decreased by a notable 84%.
Despite these improvements, certain challenges persist. The city saw a significant jump in fire-related responses, with working structure fires increasing by 79% according to WOODTV. The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety also responded to more trespassing incidents, seeing a 25% increase in such calls in 2024, as reported by mlive.
“These promising results are a direct reflection of the hard work, expertise, and commitment of the men and women at KDPS," Boysen told mlive. Despite a broad reduction in crimes like burglary and larceny, Kalamazoo's struggle with arson seems unabated, with nearly an 8% increase. Arson rates over the last five years have neither increased nor decreased significantly, a different report by wwmt pointed out.
As of early 2025, Kalamazoo has had three homicides. The city's Public Safety Department hopes to reduce violence through ongoing strategies and strong partnerships with the community.
